It takes a lot of hard work to get a kitchen design just right and Coulby Interiors' latest project is no exception. In her latest column, Rebecca Coulby explains the meticulous planning and design work that goes into transforming a dream kitchen into reality.

My latest project was to fully renovate a kitchen in a 19th century farmhouse. Over the years, the original kitchen has been extended a number of times, making it a disjointed space. The original exterior walls were, in part, retained within the kitchen, emphasising the fact that the dining area was actually an extension of the original house with a dated, polycarbonate roof.

My design involved completely opening up the space by removing all the old, external walls to create a single, large kitchen-diner. The centre piece of the room was to be a super-size quartz island with integrated sinks and seating for six people and I wanted to allow the light and garden space to flow into the new kitchen. The design also included a new set of French doors to replace the existing rear door.

In order to successfully achieve the open-plan look, the internal walls had to be removed and supported with a reinforced steel beam. New plumbing and electrics were required for the new sink position in the central island and a new tiled roof had to be constructed.

As the farmhouse dates from the 1850's, I chose natural and classic materials in keeping with the property's age. It was important to mix light tones throughout with some darker, statement tones to create an elegant contrast. I used grey tones for the kitchen units and doors with pewter handles, and rich single stave walnut for worktops, contrasting beautifully with the white, light-reflecting, solid quartz central island. My aim with the design was to create a large working kitchen with bespoke and built-in units and appliances, whilst incorporating a large dining and entertaining area.

For tiling, I chose classic light metro tiles and used wonderful Furnace Copper tiles for the recessed shelves.

I was keen to create various mood lighting so, as well as a range of LED down lights, I also designed and installed LED strip lighting along all the recessed shelves as well as a centrepiece pendant light which can be dimmed dependent on the lighting effect required.

The overall look is fabulous. Creating a classic kitchen diner with a modern twist, perfect for entertaining, family meals or just a wonderfully calm space in which to relax.